The lingering insecurity in the South East region is not abating. The situation, especially in Anambra and Imo States, is getting out of hand, and giving the people serious concern.
Very recently, members of the crew of Super Sports going to cover the match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were kidnapped in Isseke, a border town in Ihiala council area with Orlu, Imo State. Three people lost their lives during the attack.That area of the state had become a no- go area for the past three years.
The President General of Umunze community and another community leader were also abducted two weeks ago in Umunze and they spent 15 days in the hands of the abductors.
In August and September, gunmen attacked the Divisional Police Stations at Umunze and Oba and Nnobi, both in Idemili South and in Nnewi. In fact, the list of the attacks is endless. There had also been daylight killings at Nnewi, Okija, Ogbunka, in recent months and some of the victims were security operatives.
While Anambra and Imo are presently the worst hit, other states of the South East are also affected in various degrees. And the question remains-Why is the insecurity, particularly kidnapping persisting. Are the governments in these states overwhelmed?
Blame game as security situation worsens in Anambra
Worried by the level of insecurity in the State, the Obi of Onitsha Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, in his Ofala speech last weekend, called on President Bola Tinubu to convene a security and economic summit in the country to tackle the problems of insecurity and hardship.
Igwe Achebe said: “At Ofala last year, I stated that the previous 12 months were marked by uncertainties occasioned by the aftermaths of the general elections, which was further exacerbated by the continuing insecurity and the effects of the sudden removal of the fuel price subsidy. Unfortunately, the well-being of the polity has declined even more steeply in the last 12 months leading to a 10-day national protest in August 2024, tagged #Endbadgovernance.
The two areas of most concern are the economy and security. Their combined effects are the spiraling rise in the cost of living, business closures, loss of employment, a general feeling of hopelessness, and lack of trust in the government.
We urge Mr. President to also consider alternative views and urgently convene a non-partisan national economic and security summit to forge a collective way forward for the country”, the royal father said.
The Monarch lamented that crime has increased in Anambra state because Governor Chukwuma Soludo has not made any additional subvention for local security, even as the governor has said that traditional rulers would be held accountable for crimes in their locality.
“The most pressing challenge we faced during the last 12 months remained inadequate funding for our two Vigilante teams, namely, the State Government sponsored Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) and our local Onitsha Community Vigilante Unit (OCVU).
“The state government had earlier doubled its contribution for the AVG of N10,000 each from 10 to 20 persons. That still left our community and others with a significant additional cost since the actual salaries of the AVG members range from N25,000 to N30,000 per month,” Igwe Achebe said.